'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
WrestleMania is one of the most recognisable wrestling pay-per-views of all time, and you don't need me to tell you why. From having unforgettable moments such as Steve Austin joining forces with Mr. McMahon to The Undertaker's streak being broken by Brock Lesnar, this is an event that many have nostalgic memories of.
And even though the quality of WrestleMania has not been up to standard in the last few years, there is not a single wrestling fan that would miss next year's instalment of the epic event. The most interesting thing about WrestleMania each year is the match card, as we have seen some truly brilliant match cards assembled in previous instalments.
But, at the same time, there has been some WrestleManias that had match cards not worth the event. Today, we will take a look at certain WrestleMania matches that were planned in advance, but reportedly cancelled during the build to the event and who knows? Next year we could add more to the list.
#1 WrestleMania 34 - Jinder Mahal vs John Cena
The WWE Title reign of Jinder Mahal was not all that bad, as Mahal had the skills to draw heat from any crowd in the world, but WWE was not ready at that point in time to book Mahal as a top tier World Champion.
However, Mahal's booking at the time may contradict that above statement, as 'the modern-day Maharaja' was beating world class Superstars left and right. From Shinsuke Nakamura to Randy Orton, Mahal conquered them all, but a rumour popped up during Mahal's reign that might have changed the landscape of WWE.
That rumour was John Cena returning to face Mahal at WrestleMania 34. It was believed that Mahal would hold onto the WWE Title until the Show of Shows where he would meet Cena in a title match, as WWE was reportedly planning on having Cena win his 17th World Title.
But, things did not go as planned, as WWE took the title off Mahal and handed it to AJ Styles, who went on to face Shinsuke Nakamura in a highly anticipated dream match while Cena went on to have a confusing squash match with The Undertaker. But, it was not all doom and gloom for Mahal, as he won the US Championship at the event.
#2 WrestleMania 33 - Shane McMahon vs Brock Lesnar
This would have been one crazy programme if WWE went through with the rumoured plans that Shane McMahon's run-in with Brock Lesnar was supposed to conclude at WrestleMania 33.
This match was teased after Brock Lesnar's vicious beatdown of Randy Orton at SummerSlam 2016, as we saw Shane McMahon try to intervene and stop the former WWE Champion from putting Orton on the shelf for good, but Shane got F5'ed for his effort.
The match could have happened, as rumours stated that WWE changed their plans when Goldberg signed a multi-match deal with the company, which changed the original plans from Goldberg losing at Survivor Series to the former WCW Champion squashing Lesnar. So, at WrestleMania 33, we got the rubber match between these two veterans and the rest is history, but imagine if WWE went through with their set up plans of Lesnar taking on Shane?
#3 WrestleMania 34 - Kurt Angle vs Jason Jordon
How good could Jason Jordan have been in the WWE? We might never know the answer to that question, as Jordan's career was ended prematurely due to an unfortunate neck injury. However, before he was sidelined with the neck injury, he was slowly becoming one of WWE's next breakout stars, as he was beating heavyweights like Sheamus and winning titles alongside Seth Rollins.
But, the memorable thing about Jordan's WWE run was his narrative with Kurt Angle, as WWE made the odd decision of pairing the two as father and son. While this was a storyline that made as much sense as the Wild Card Rule, it did catapult Jordon to heights he would have never achieved without the publicity of being Angle's son.
The plans for this narrative was for Jordan to take on Angle at Wrestlemania 34 and beat the former WWE Champion, which would have been huge for the youngster. It was not meant to be, as Jordan's injury forced WWE to change their plans which saw Angle team with Ronda Rousey to take on Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, while Jordan had to sit out the biggest match of his career.
#4 WrestleMania 33 - AJ Styles vs Shawn Micheals
When WWE first announced that AJ Styles would take on Shane McMahon at WrestleMania 33, many were feeling a bit confused. This is AJ Styles we are talking about; the man who singlehandedly made Smackdown Live must-see television back in 2016, and leading up to his second ever WrestleMania, it would be an understatement if one said Styles needed to have a main event match.
However, Styles guided Shane to the best match on the card, as their bout was filled with moments of awe and unforgettable spots that made the contest better than expected. But before Styles faced Shane, it was reported that WWE had other plans in mind for the former WWE Champion, and that was a dream match with Shawn Micheals.
HBK and Styles are the two greatest in-ring workers to never face each other, so it was only fitting that WWE wanted to put it on a stage such as WrestleMania. However, HBK was not up for the match, as he explained why on Sam Robert's Podcast.
HBK said that he was offered the match, but declined due to not wanting to take the spotlight away from the young talented Superstars of today. Even though Micheals returned to main event Crown Jewel, it seems like we will never see these two talented veterans face off against each other in the WWE.
#5 WrestleMania 30 - CM Punk vs Triple H
The story of CM Punk vs WWE has been a well-documented one, as Punk's war with Vince McMahon could be adapted into a Hollywood movie completed with all the twists and turns you would expect from a summer blockbuster.
And while there is so much to talk about with regards to Punk's departure from the WWE, the one thing that we will touch on was his cancelled WrestleMania match with Triple H. It was reported that Punk was set to take on Triple H at WrestleMania 30 with the build already getting underway months before the match, but Punk walked out of the company, and the plans changed.
Daniel Bryan got his shot at Triple H at the event and beat him, which allowed Bryan to go on to the main event to win the WWE World Heavyweight Title. Imagine if Punk did stick around, Bryan would've not got his chance to become the centrepiece of the company, and Batista or Randy Orton would have walked out of the main event as WWE Champion.
